For our first full day in Florence I booked a “Tours by Locals” with Cristina, a local expert. She would be our guide for visiting two of the most important sites in the city, the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries that are filled with renaissance artworks. This post will just cover the Uffizi Gallery. If you are not a fan of renaissance artworks you might want to skip this! Here is Cristina with William just outside the Uffizi.
Just inside the entrance the first thing you see is the Medici Family Coat of Arms. Cristina explained that the five brown orbs represent coins as the Medici were primarily bankers. Above the coins is a Fleur-de-lis, representing the strong relationship the Medici had with the French. This coat of arms is pretty much everywhere in Florence.
The gallery displays their art in chronological order, starting from the oldest items in their collection. Cristina pointed out that this painting on wood represented the earliest version of how Mary and baby Jesus appeared in Italian artwork. This is by Cimabue and dates from 1290-1300. Cristina referred to this as “Ugly Mary”, as you can barely tell it’s a woman.
Fast forward 20 years to Giotto’s version from 1310 and Mary is starting to look more feminine, which Cristina called “Sexy Mary”. Maybe slightly more attractive Mary??
This is the Annunciation of Mary from 1333, and if you click on the photo you can see words being spoken across the painting from Archangel Gabriel to Mary. I’ve never seen this in a painting. Cristina referred to this Mary as “Angelina Jolie” Mary. Maybe 30 years ago!
Here is one of the most famous paintings in the Uffizi, “Primavera”, painted by Botticelli around 1480.
The even more famous Botticelli is just across the room. This is “The Birth of Venus”, painted around 1485. Cristina advised us that Botticelli used the same model as the central figure for both paintings.
One more Botticelli from 1483 that was painted in a unique round format that was reserved for works commissioned by aristocrats for their private homes.
The Uffizi is a U-shaped museum, and as you round the U there are several city views from the windows. This is the Palazzo Vecchio with the Duomo in the background.
As well as a view of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
The hallways of the museum are beautiful works of art all on their own!
This painting has an interesting back story. This was painted by Andrea del Verrocchio in 1475, who had a young student named Leonardo da Vinci.
The teacher was impressed by Leonardo and asked him to paint the angel on the left of his own painting, shown in more detail here. Verrocchio was said to be so amazed by the superior skill of his pupil that he resolved to never paint again.
Here is another painting by Leonardo from 1481-2 that he never finished, as he left for Milan shortly after starting it.
Cristina advised us that the figure on the lower right is said to be a self-portrait of Leonardo at 30 years old.
One last work from Leonardo is Annunciation from 1472-5, which took on different looks depending on the angle you were looking at it from.
Cristina advised it was best to look at it from the right side. From straight on Mary’s arm looks too long, but it’s appropriate when viewed from the right. The furniture also looks too wide from straight on. Leonardo did this on purpose as it was designed to be hung high up on a wall and viewed from the right.
Getting close to done with paintings. This next one is the only painting on wood by Michelangelo. It was commissioned by a local merchant on the birth of his daughter in 1507. He ended up not liking the painting, but the Pope ended up seeing it on a visit to Florence and liked it so much he invited Michelangelo to Rome to paint the Sistine Chapel.
We went downstairs to see a few more artworks, and I saw this plaque on the wall.
This is the impact from a window in the stairwell being blown out by a car bomb placed by the Mafia. The bomb ended up killing 5 people and injuring 40.
One last painting at the Uffizi. This is Testa di Medusa painted by Caravaggio in 1597. It was actually painted onto an curved shield of armor, which gives it an extra creepy look as the eyes and mouth follow you as you move past it.
Remember that Mafia car bomb? This is a statue called The Tree of Peace erected at the site of the blast to honor the victims. You can still see some damage to the framing of the right window
Up next, we visit the Accademia Gallery for more Florence masterpieces!
Beautiful!!!